For dessert, you can’t beat a good crisp. I grew up loving my mom’s apple crisp every Fall and started making it myself once I had my own kitchen. I was on the lookout for a delicious crisp to make in the Spring and/or Summer when apples are out of season and expensive. This delicious peach crisp recipe fits the bill if you are looking for a yummy dessert that tastes like Spring on a plate.
One of the things I love about this recipe is that it tastes just as great whether you use fresh, frozen or canned peaches. Depending on how much time you have and if you have fresh peaches available, you can alter it to fit your circumstances.
In an effort to make this delicious dessert a bit healthier in celebration of American Heart Month and in sponsored partnership with Smart Balance and TapInfluence, I actually made two peach crisps: one using Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread and one using I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Original Spread to see if there was any difference. But before I get into talking about which one I preferred, let’s talk about how to make the dish.
Delicious Peach Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 C sliced peaches if using fresh, blanch in boiling water. If using frozen, thaw before adding. Canned peaches should be completely drained.
- 1/2 C all purpose flour
- 1/2 C brown sugar
- 1/2 C Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 C rolled oats traditional oats - not quick cooking
Instructions
- If using fresh, blanch in boiling water. If using frozen, thaw before adding. Canned peaches should be completely drained before using.
- Grease an 8x8 baking pan.
- Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
- Spread peaches evenly over the bottom of the greased pan.
- Mix the remaining ingredients except oats in a bowl until ingredients are evenly blended and crumbles form.
- Combine oats with crumble mixture.
- Sprinkle mixture over peaches, patting lightly.
- Bake 30 minutes or until topping begins to brown lightly.
Now, I have to confess that I was a bit worried about using butter substitutes in this recipe. Because the cold butter is so crucial to making good topping crumbles, I thought a substitute might cause issues with this step. It wasn’t an issue – phew!! I will admit that Smart Balance had already scored points with me before I even left the store. When I grabbed it off the shelf, I immediately noticed that there was a label on the front indicating it contains no GMOs (genetically modified ingredients). While I know that’s not an issue for everyone, it is for me and I was thrilled to see it on Smart Balance!
I made two batches of Peach Crisp, one using Smart Balance and one using I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. I felt like both spreads performed the same when it came to prepping the dish. Once the dish was done, I felt the Smart Balance had browned a little better and yielded a crisper topping (which in a crisp is kind of important!). I did try to keep everything as similar in both dishes as I could to be fair, so I’m chalking up the difference to the spread as that is the only thing I changed.
Once the dish was cooled enough to eat, I again found myself leaning toward the one prepared with Smart Balance. I just preferred the taste as it seemed more like the original recipe which I previously had made with butter. So between the fact that Smart Balance has no GMOs and seemed to perform more like actual butter in my recipe, which one do you think I’ll be reaching for next time? You got it – Smart Balance!
Smart Balance buttery spreads support healthy cholesterol levels already in the normal range. Clinical research has proven that the right blend of fats may improve your cholesterol ratio when:
– At least 2/3 of your fat intake comes from these products or the Smart Balance Food Plan
– You limit total fat to about 30% of calories (65g per day)
– You limit saturated fat to 10% of calories (20g per day)
– You limit dietary cholesterol to average 300mg or less per day
– You avoid trans fat
– You exercise regularly
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Smart Balance®. The opinions and text are all mine.